Coin-collecting means for telephone services



'y July 2?;1926. 1,593,970

. I F'. w. HALL I C-OIN' COLLECTING-MEANS FOR TELEPHONE SERVICES l l Filed Dec. 9. 1922 v5 Sheets-Sheet. 2 l

.my :1;1'926. F.l W. HALL com cLLac'TING MEANS Fon l'I'Emlnuowfz sERvlcEs Filed D. 9, A1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Application"meafnecember 9,31922'5, "seria-fno. 605,975,aaa"iaEngiarid'lnecabeii4; i92'i.f IV

This invention; relates to coin'collecting means for'telephonefservices VIts' principalobject is to ysimplify .'ancl accelerate the procedure whereby the subscriber, p after inserting into 'a box or' casing-the propernumber ofA coins, can either secure the clesirecl'con-` l 'nection, or in"-case that connection' not'V available54 can obtainrrefiuid ofthe-payment inserted; Otlieyr'objectsgof 'the'y inventi'onf of thecoin collector, all of which willv be dei-"5:

are to effect improvements in lthemechanism `scribecl fully hereinafter ancl'pointed yout in l tive, but' alsorenclrs operative I a device vfor the: subjoinedf.claims According to' the '1nv'en'tion`theinsertiony of tliecoin renders the transmitter inoperacommunication between thesubscriberfand ent.

4 tem.

Vand controlling the said.y contacts.l

' said mechanism: f

the exchange`,' enablingthe subscriber to' com municate or select*theconnection7 hefrequijreslf Means are providecl wherebyy the subscriber.

can alternatively cash in or flcaish' Qutiithe conversation. withfthe selected` 'corresponde exchange, until a 'freshpayment been made and lllas been CaSlieclfinl We may also arrange for ren cashing out movements,

Fig. 1 isa diagram showing onearrange .'ment of circuits and contacts for the "pur-vv pose, for use with a manual telephonesysf'y l i f "which the machine is financiada bat'ailows the flap to ij-tithe coins'shiow any'ftenll'' Fijgs.'2 anfl'rfS being views of' mechanism comprisedl in a coin collector Afor'k actuating Fi'gQf shows a a modification of Fig. 5 isla diagram, showing an arrange-V ment of circuits for V,useiwith `an-autr)maticg telephone system;` 5 1 Figs. 6 to*l 9 fare "mechanism with "ant arrangement ,of contact-s appropriate to 'van automatic telephoneI sys-k tem. a

In Fig. l the, partsa'r'e shown in normal If on the other hanclV thm-subscriberc'ashes out, the act of-'so doing lcloes -noty render the tra'nisniittel operative;1 andi. conversation cannot ybe had, withoiit intervention vloftheV aeangfpefa. a tive a signalling clevicel and disabling vthe transmitter both by the `cashing in' *the` l n iains operative at'allti'mes, Shi'inted."` on tbox. The receiverfl isoperativefam'l frecircuit are also twocontacts@` l, I5, the closing of which,l when contact '3 is 'closeij completes.

the f short circui-t'g "When opein-the contact member 5' makes contactat G ,ciitting out the relayv thus removingV its resi-stance `from" the line.y Bridged across thelin'e'at the-callers' y station is thecoiliof :an "electricy bell fafa-nd: 1

from the Imid-'cile of this coil ajwire leadsfto a contact 8, for making an' earth connection;

this being-'thev calling colitact for operatingy i change.' Connected in parallel'bwitha' resistv ancein the line isa buzzer relay 9;; f`whic`h is hereinafterf l Y I will now proceed-1 tov describe fthe coin-gr i collecting mechanism v whereof 1 portions are that@ behind the; Wan -11 (Eig 2);;` intoyan inclined` Vchute which conducts the coins vto a vertical chute is torineclbetween a plate 12h and; a-"pla-t'eg'or Hap l5 behind the same. t T he' `flapl 'liingeclto lugsl''near the top, sol that it canswing outwards at' the bottom'.

faov

Theoutward swing; Abeing limitedy by acoil'j 'y p spring'fonqvftheshank ola screw` 17v which' passes 'through' a yhole vinf' the .Thisv v,spring is ofsniiicient .strength lto lenablel the f flap to hold lightly in, proper position' the normal or VInaiii-mum number; ofcoins vfor,

e Pivotedfat-lS near thel'top of `the lchutejl the 4form' of a quadrant 119, having "an arm i 20.1v Pivotetl to abracketlbelow the lquadrant there 'is a: trip'.V lever inthe Storm of 'ahook witha seriesofteeth" or stepswhich form'a zigrjzag ypassage -thereinQ 'Atits t@ a, Which-projects am@ugh a $101; :into-1,

thel plate "14' is `a -doiible armed'balan'ce lever its shorter arm.l i "lhey longer; karin` of may l rocked.

the balance lever has its freek end bent over ata right angle to project through a slot 27 into the chute 13 after passing through the passage in the trip lever 22 and through an aperture in the quadrant`- 19. The edge of this aperture in the quadrant conforms in vpart tothe arc described by the end of the balance arm, so that until the arm is lowered' the quadrant connot be swung, but the lower part of the aperture is enlarged so that when the arm has reached the bottom of the slot 27 the quadrant can be` Each coin of the proper denomination and weight entering the chute 13 firstlstrikes the pin 23 and thus swings the trip into the position shown in Fig. 2, thenclears this pin and drops on to the `bent end of the balance lever 25, which it depresses, the balance arm sliding off the first step on the right hand side of the zig-zag path, and being arrested by the first step on the left hand side when the trip leverswings back to normal position. The next coin inserted swings the trip lever again, and enables the balance arm, weighted by both coins, to swing down to the next step on the left hand side. The third coin completes the rel-ease of the balance arm, andthe same then descends to the' bottom of the slot 27. -llach time the triplever 22 is rocked ay coin, a'short arm projecting from its foot f lifts auleaf spring, which carries the Contact 10 already referred to with reference to Fig. 1. The contact 10 is thus temporarily opened and the buzzer 9 is energized soy that the insertion of lthe coin is signalled at the exchange. v

When` the balance arm 25 drops to its lowest position a tappet 28 thereon bendsy a leaf spring which carries the contact 8 already referred to, thus closing this contact,

which calls up exchange when the receiver inoperative, to actuate the contact 1.0 and is removed from the switchhook. l

Pivoted to the arm 2O of the quadrant 19 is a link 29 having a slot whereby it engages a stud on an arm 30 pivoted at 31 to the plate 14. On the pivot 31 there is also mounted a lever 32, which has stud 38 engaging the arm 30. Fixed to the lever 32 is a pin 34 projecting through a slot into the coin chute 11 so that when a coin (indicated by a broken line in Fig. 2) is pushed into the chute it rocks the lever 32, whosey stud 33 rocks the arm 30. The latter has a notched tail piece, which is engaged by a spring catch 35 to hold it inits normal position as shown in Fig. 2 or in another position into which the army can be rocked by the stud 33. The tailpiece of the arm 30 has a stud 36 engaging a leaf spring, which is the Contact 5 referred to in connection withFig. l1 and is disposed between two springs, which are the contacts 4 andv 6.l

lfhen the arm v3() is rocked by the stud 33 the stud 36 removes the contact 5 from J[he contact 6 and presses it against the Contact 4. Contact between 5 and 4 is maintained, after the passage of the coin by the engagement of the tail piece with the catch 35.

Mounted alongside the arm 20 of the quadrant is a rock shaft 37 having two parallel arms 38 engaging a push button 39 and having also an arm 40 adapted to engage the arm 2O of the quadrant, so that` by actuating the push the arm 2O is clepressed. The arm 40 is connected by a link 41 tov one of two pivoted arms 42 which carry the inclined chute 12. When the push is actuated the arm 40, by means ofthe said link, rocks the chute 12, .and when the push is released the weight of the chute restores the arm 40 and the rock shaft to normal position.

It willy be seenthat rdepression of the arm 2O by the arm 40 swings the quadrant 19 to the left, as viewed in Fig. 2. ,j j

Pivoted at 43 is a double armed lever 44, which can be actuated by means of apush 45, and when so actuated lifts the arm 20, in order to swing the quadrant'19 to the right, as viewed in Fig. 2. y

Fixed to the quadrant 19 are two pins 46 projecting Vthrough slots into the chute 13. When the balance arm 25 has been fully lowered by the insertion of the proper number of coins the coins lie between the pins if the quadrant is swung to theleft, by

actuating the push 39 the right hand pinr 46 ejects the coins into4 the till. lf on the other hand the quadrant is swung to the right by actuating the push`45,the left hand pin 46 ejects the coins into a lchute which returns them to the customer. l

It will be seen that the effect of inserting the coinsinto the bex is to close at 4, 5 the shunt circuit which renders the transmitter thus signal the insertion of each coin at the exchange, and to callrup exchange by means ef the contact 8. For answering the call the exchange operator opens the contact 3 by means of relay 2, thus breaking the shunt circuit. The relay 2 is operated by operating a reversing key, which reverses `the current in the line. Whenr the subscriber has stated his requirement the operator closes the shunt circuit again. Ifpthe subscriber has received the required connection he actuatesy the push 39, thus causing the payment to enter the-till. At the same time .the rocking of the arm 20, which pulls down the link 29, actuates the arm 80, thus breaking the shunt circuit at 4, 5 and short cir'cuiting .l In the modification shown-fin Fig. 4 the Incase the coin col-lector showninFi-gsi j approximately verticalrchute into which the coins pass' from'athe. inclined chute is designated .13, ,andy is.` a conduit fixed `tol ythe:- quadrant 19 .by =means of.V screws 13bwhich `pass throughslotsinthe/plate l4,.so that the conduit swings with the quadrant. le have also herey shown a defl'ectorvk inthe form.. of az'bent Aplate 47 pivoted. at 47"*so that' it'- is suspended-'behind vthe chute 5135*.. I; Until.- .the balance arm has been fully depressed by insertion of the normal number Vof coins vfor payment of`an ordinary cal-l thepla-te47 isfheld away from the `'chute' by the end of the balance arm, as shownin Fig. 4, but

S. kwhen the arm .has been depressed' the; curved l vdesired assistedbyithe, action of a spring not. y yzo lower part ofi the: deflectory plate 47H allows ther same to swinginWaIdS by gravtylf shown.) u By this. movement a portion of the .pla-te `474 is interposed between, thechute 13% and-the'outletfof-the inclined chute 1.2,` soy that rif additionaly coinsa're inserted', l as for "example by.. .wayy of extra ypayment for c acall beyond a certain radius,.such coins are deflected by the plate intoa separate recepi tacle. .By this meansl thek .extra payments .s

a-r.e,dfor`r Apurposes of' accountancy or statistics, kept' separate/.from the normal vor, so-V y called toll payments. n c c n :In the apparatusfshownsin-Figsxjlto I9 the construction .andy arrangement' ofthe chutes, quadrant, triplever and balance arm,

*apparatus being intended for use in auto-gl matic .telephone systemtas vshown in Eig/5',v

'- :der the ytransmitter Y inoperative "and, ,the

yandthevmeans lfor actuating the 'sam-e, are* the sameI asffinu'Figs. 2-and3". For parts i which are identical with correspondingpartsf in. Figs. .2 and Bflfhaveiused thesame,ref-jw erence numerals, with an aiix. applied. there-y i to as 111, 121 etc,V 'The'arrangement of the!y contacts is, however; in; part different, the

The Adepression of ythe balance `arm` 251,V with the contact 50. The effect of this is torenselector dial 90 operative, so that ythe sube` inby pressing the push 391, whereupon the ascending balance `armk allowsQthe-contacts KGO scriber can adjust the dial for the communication required but cannot .then at once vavail himself of the transmitter.' If'the communi-ly cation is obtained, the payment-is cashed 48 and 50 to return to normal, and the transmitter thus becomes operative. If the communication is not vobtained thefpayment is cashed out by operating the push451.l This also renders the transmitter operativefagain,

but the push 451 opens a rictionally pivoted contact 49, which breaks theline and' causes the automatic selector and connector switches to be released. The opening of the contact 49 pushes in the plunger ,5i of a dash-pot,y which after a suiiicient intervaluof time re,-

closes the contact.

prescribed numbe'rofcoinsif Each coinv inf` sented causes 'the contact'lOOftfo bei-opened,

andthis operates a buzzer 41191,enabling the? y operator to countin the payment.

o' Fig; l'showsfa mod'iicatiomalso intended for automatic systems, in Which'flcontacts '.5111 and 611arranged" and operarted as described withreference `to.Fig.-2y are u sed,`V instead: of the Contact 50 shown in- Fig's4`7-W and-18.-` For lthispurp'ose the said contacts `5-11 and 1 611 mustbe returnedtol norinal'not. only by the cashing in operation, but also 'byf done by means 'lofi a vdouble armed leve'i` 52 pivotedh to the frame :and connectedtby' ajlink 53to the arm'3011 this arm correspond# l .c ing v,to the' arm'BO in 2.51'The glever' 52' isi actuated by the upwardl` movement Tof thec quadrant arm 2011 when the/subscriber cashesf out, and theV link 53 then pullsv down the arm 3011.*1 Thus the same moveinent is given. to the contacts asis'given byl the link f 2911f`fwhen a payment. 'is cashed-in; c l The y} 9resent invention also contemplates the `provision offi'neans constructed` and' ar'- ranged as'fdescribed"in'fBritishJPatent No.

149,361, comprising `a contact breaker actu Y ated'byeach 'ccinwhich constitutes anextral payment or part thereofl to operate* 'a buzzer or) other signal audible-at the eXch'angeso thatfsuchcoins or eXtra .paymentsmay be"4 readily counted orcheck'ed'in by the operator, and thisyseheme' `can be further extended to provide audible signals o'fdiferent character to indicate the payment -ofjcoins of 11o i l differentv denomination by the provision of" aseparate contact breaker fory each `or Suchi coins. and corresponding circuits i i What I' claim as' inyinvention anddesire i `to secure by Letters `lEatentQf the United States is: f v p o yl. In a telephone system the combination, with a transmitter, of'acoin collectorhav'- ing means whereby the insertedfcoiniis held."` 1n suspense,;means whereby the coin so held.`

canbe alternatively cashed in vor cashed out y by the subscriber, af deviceV for communical tion between theexchange and the sub-y l if somber, means whereby the rvinserted' coin,

ders loperativeV said "device for communicai tion between'the `exchange and vthe subrenders the transmitterinoperative and ren-y `scriber, and means wherebythe cashing ing of the coinrenders thev transmitter opera-` 1 ftive.l 'i W tive, means controlled by the exchange for re-instating and re-disabling the transmitter, and means whereby the cashing in ofy the coin renders the transmitter operative, the cashing out being ineffective to reinstate the transmitter.

3. In a telephone system the combination, with a transmitter, of a coin collector having means whereby the inserted coin is held in suspense, means whereby trie coin so held can be alternativelycashed in or cashed out by the subscriber, a device orcommunication between the exchange and the subscriber, means comprising a shunt circuit and a switch in said circuit adapted to be closed by the insertion of the coin, whereby the inserted coin renders the transmitter inoperative and renders operative said device for communication between the exchange and the subscriber, and means whereby the cashing in of the coin renders the transmitter operative. 4 i

4. In a telephone system the combination, with a transmitter, of a coin collector having means whereby the inserted coin is held in suspense, means whereby the coin so held can be alternatively cashed in or cashed -ont by the subscriber, means comprising a shunt circuit and ar switch in said circuit adapted to be closed by the insertion ot the `coin whereby the inserted coin renders the transmitter inoperative, means controlled by the exchange for re-instating and re-disabling the transmitter, and means whereby the cashing in of the coin renders the transmitter operative, the cashing out being ineffective to reinstate the transmitter. 1

5. In a telephone system the combination,

lwith a transmitter, of a coin collector having means whereby the inserted coin is held in suspense, means whereby the coin so held can be alternatively cashed in or cashed out by the subscriber, means whereby the inserted coin rendersthe transmitter inoperative, means controlled by the exchange for re-instating and re-disabling the transmitter, said means including` switch devices whereby communication can be had withthe exf change, and vmeans whereby the cashing in orn the coin renders the transmitter operative and short circuits said switch devices, the cashing out being ineiective to reinstate the transmitter.

6. The combination claimed in claim 1, together with means whereby the act of cashing out causes the line to be disconnected for a predetermined period of time.

7. The combination claimed in claim l, with a contact breaker actuated by each coin inserted Jior an extra payment, to operate an audible signal at the exchange.

S. rIhe combination claimed in claim 2, with a contact breaker actuated by each coin inserted for an extra payment, to operate any natively-be cashedinor cashed out, a de-` vice actuated by the inserted coin for rendering the transmitter inoperative, means whereby, after the inserted coin has actuated said device and while the coin is held in suspense, the subscriber is enabled to signal his requirements to the exchange, and means whereby the cashing in of the coin disables the device rendering the transmitter inoperative. n t

In witness whereof I have signed this speciiication. y

FREDERICK WILLIAM HALL. 

